Days of Futures Past

The Future Is Now… Isn’t it??

When I was a kid we all sorta just took for granted that by the time the next Century came along, we would surely have been victorious in world politics. The last thing that came to our minds when we were imagining life in the year 2004 was bussing to anti-wars rallies for 30 bucks and bad nights sleep…

“Where is our future of cheep energy, and longevity?"

Hell, was there ever a time when we could see the future that John Fitzgerald Kennedy had promised us was just round the corner? Why has it always seemed like we were so far from the future, when you actually took time to think about it?

The last quarter of the 20th Century, build on the super-science and rich ingenuity of the Americas came, and went. There was no DOOM when the clock hit mid-night on December 31 1999. Nor was there a magical Golden Age.

"Where is the glorious future that we were told, that we were so sure, would be there?”

So what then? What would be come of us? Was it just us trucking on… Just another age of confusion rather the amazing possibilities?!?! Did we forget that every day we exist was filled with those magical possibilities? That no arbitrary date has to define our society as we live it? That it was for our children to judge us. But it is for us to live.

As television and film beats the irony of the ‘old proverbs’ over our heads, and we complain about what life would be like if the times were not as interesting? We cry give me peace, or freedom, or just a break from the complexities of relationships, what do actually do to change things? Aside for the divorce rate, that is.

But more important, would we want to live in boring times? Indeed is there such a thing? If we were all free, all happy, all well feed, would we actually BE HAPPY? Perhaps you would all like to live a life with a warrantee and all you crave is the boredom of that security.

Maybe you think you want to live in that boring world… and truly, some of us think we already do. But well, I am truly sorry to be the one to tell you this, but… it’s time for our society to Grow-up!! If what you want is guarantee buy a funking Volkswagen. If you want answers, maybe you should invest in an encyclopedia set. Want love, start by giving some out. The only thing that you are guaranteed with life is that it’s a limited engagement and you are one of many players on the stage.

But aside from that, we write our own contracts. And we can make this (our lives) flow as we wish. Bound only, and fully to, each other. Call me crazy but it seems we are all brothers and sisters on this ‘small world’. An article by Kurt Vonnegut I recently read would indicate that the world our dreamers have written of just ain’t gonna happen. That we will never stop fighting… And while he makes good points, lets not forget this is the man who once said “I could carve a better human out of a banana.”

So being an in the 21st Century ain’t really all that different then being one in the 18th Century was, it is WE who have changed. WE have built up a whole new society to replace the one that penned the Constitution. WE’ve exploited, built on each other, with our capitalism and progress. WE’ve united in pain and joy, saved each other and killed each other. But WE cannot just sit around any longer and let things just happen. That society is long gone.

Now is the time to find out what it’s worth. It’s time to stop and look around, see what’s going down. And if it’s not what we want America to be, WE’ll have to say something. Because ‘I’ will make you the guarantee that if you don’t, someone else will and friend they might just be a real SOB! They might not have your best interests at heart. After all that sound you hear in the distance, it ain’t the wings of the dove. More like getto-birds, followed sharply by news vans, and a movie-of-the-week.

I can’t say I know what’s best, but I can say, as an American, I know what is right! I was taught as a boy, by my country, who we are and what we believe in. Now it seems no-one but a few of us remember their social studies classes. And the kids of today seem way too busy trend chasing (making themselves ‘sexy’ and answering cell phones) then really understanding what’s happened and what is happening. And while it seemed like we didn't get it when we were kids, it is a whole ‘nother animal these days. Face it, the 21st Century is here and our disposable culture is making disposable people and ideals. And it seems we (adults) are not leading the way. 'Where have you gone Joe'? Hell, were you ever even here?

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You can read that Kurt Vonnegut article, mentioned above, here:
http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/cold_turkey
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